Passive fluidic diode for simple fluids using nested nanochannel structures.

Abstract

In this paper, we propose a moving part-free fluidic diode for simple fluids using nested nanochannels, which contain inner and outer channels of different lengths. Molecular dynamics simulations show that the fluidic diode accepts water flows in the forward direction and blocks flows in the backward direction in a wide range of pressure drops. The anisotropic flow rates are generated by the distinct activation pressures in different directions. In the forward direction, the activation pressure is low, which is determined by the infiltration pressure of the inner channel. In the backward direction, the activation pressure is quite high due to the capillary effects when flows are released from the inner to the outer channel. The pressure drop range for the fluidic diode can be varied by changing the channel size or surface wettability. The fluidic diode offers an alternative way for flow control in integrated micro- and nanofluidic devices.